Category: Self reliance

remember your undersink water filter

In July 1998 I installed an undersink filter.  I know the date because I kept the original installation instructions.  I remember the accompanying written warning but paid little attention:  "To prevent costly repairs or possible water damage we strongly recommend that the housing be replaced periodically: every five years for clear tanks, and every ten years for opaque tanks.  If your housing has been in use for more than the recommended period, it should be replaced immediately". Imagine Read more [...]

Takeuchi electrical problems

Much time since my last post.  My uncovered greens have held up well through the cold and I have begun germinating tomato seeds.  Read some excellent books and took a MOOC on software design in connection with 3D printing.  And I have spent considerable time diagnosing and fixing my silent Takeuchi TL26 (bobcat). I don't use it much but the compost heap needed turning and I wished to grade some ground for additional rainwater tanks,  and it stayed silent when I turned the key.  Not good. Previously Read more [...]

cord-cutting and enhancing connectivity

It all began when the tv satellite bill for the Atlanta house jumped unexpectedly.  The company explained I was beyond the 6 month special discount period and offered to split the difference between old rate and new rate.  I decided to become a "cord-cutter" and canceled the contract.  They sent me a shipping box and I disconnected the LNB from the satellite dish and placed it and the receiver and remote in the box and bade farewell at the UPS office. "Now what?" M. demanded to know.  She Read more [...]

well repair – part 2

In my previous post (part 1) I describe the temporary repair I made to the expansion tank pressure switch.  However the pipe/nipple connecting the pressure switch to the water manifold is badly rusted and seeping water and just a matter of time before it disintegrates. I want the repair to proceed efficiently and so I researched how to removed broken nipples - Bob's plumbing video (how to remove a broken pipe) was very helpful.  So prior to commencing the repair I bought and assembled all the Read more [...]

well problem – diagnosis & repair – part 1

Unexpectedly, Friday evening, no water in the house.  No warning signs such as discolored water which could indicate the well was running dry.  Checked the power supply board and the switch was on.  Called the well repair guy and asked if any wells were running dry.  He said 12 in the mountains but none at my level and he would visit Saturday 6pm. Caution - following involves working with 240 volts and can result in serious injury or death and should not be undertaken by anyone not competent Read more [...]

am I a Maker?

There is a Maker movement afoot and a few weeks ago I visited my first Maker Faire, which was in Atlanta.  A few weeks prior I signed up for a MOOC (online course) on 3D printing and I was deciding which 3D printer I should buy - the large one in the photo above costs around $30k, I was thinking of $300.  Makers enjoy tinkering and making things most often using new technologies.  I think this is different from DIY where the focus is on repairing or installing things, which would usually be done Read more [...]

common sense goes a long way

In my recent post on September 4 I described the installation of a whole house filter, see schematic below. Since this was the first time I was using pex, I was concerned there could be a rupture or seepage in the basement during the night when I was not at the house and so I disconnected power to the well pump which is located deep in the ground.  The following day when I switched on the power I was surprised that the pump had to run for some time to charge the expansion tank.  I thought Read more [...]

TV via antenna

6 years ago I wanted to receive TV via antenna.  We have DSL and I can access Netflix and YouTube etc. but not local stations.  I positioned the antenna facing south (Atlanta's direction) about 20 feet off the ground and connected a cable from the antenna to the cable attached to the previous owner's dish receiver, and in the winter received a few stations.  Since I have digital TV and the signal is digital I do not require a converter box.  In the summer reception fell off because the trees Read more [...]

time for a whole house filter

A few weeks ago M. confronted me in the kitchen with a glass of discolored water.  “It’s dirty” she accused.  I agreed but suggested if she wanted drinking water she should use the under sink 2 stage filters I installed, which deliver crystal clear water, and not worry about the water from the faucet.  She was not appeased and said she would not shower in discolored water nor did she want the dishes or clothing to be washed in the water.   We have a deep well I explained so bacteria is Read more [...]

exterior cladding and a vexing mistake

The house on the property has D log wood siding.  The "D" describes the shape of the log as seen in cross-section, one side is flat and the other has the shape of a D.  The house was built in 2002 and when I purchased it 10 years later the siding was neglected.  I engaged a well recommended painting contractor who provided a 5 year guarantee.  He recommended, rather than a transparent varnish which would show the wood grain underneath, that we use a block stain which required less annual maintenance.  Read more [...]